47 Percent Drop in Hillsborough County's Homeless Population

It was too good to be true. That's what some people thought after Hillsborough County found a drop in the number of homeless by nearly half in January. So they went back on the streets for another look.

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So, almost 100 volunteers canvassed the county earlier this month. The surveying included birthdays, disabilities and the length of time they were on the streets. The final tally came to 2,275 homeless.

That's still a drop of 47 percent since the last count in 2011.

New Coalition CEO Maria Barcus says she was not part of the organization for the initial count.

"I definitely think that the police and the sheriff's department - having placed some of the officers to be homeless liaisons and to direct people to services as opposed to arresting them for a minor violation - has definitely helped, specifically the jail number," Barcus said.

She adds two federally-funded initiatives, established in 2011, specifically for homeless veterans also made an impact.

Hillsborough is now working on programs that aim to get all homeless families and veterans off the streets by 2015. Click Here for a more comprehensive look at the break down of Hillsborough's homeless population.

This week, hundreds of volunteers hit the streets of Hillsborough County to count the number of homeless residents, the Tampa Bay Times reports.
Under federal law, counties must report the number of homeless every other year. At last check, 17,775 homeless people lived in Hillsborough County, contributing to the Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater area's distinction as the having the highest homelessness rate in the country, according to the National Alliance to End Homelessness.
This year's data, due out in March, will be used to apply for funding and expand services that help the homeless.